PB Part 2: Confidence

Joy here...At the end of December I blogged about some PBs (personal bests), both within sport and outside of sport, taking a moment to celebrate some successes (an idea I borrowed from a former colleague of mine who first launched a "Boast Post" back in 2010, and has done so again in 2013 and in 2014, as a way of taking a moment to consciously and conscientiously articulate pride in one's accomplishments, an important notion for "women in the academy."  I'm no longer a "woman in the academy," but I'm still a woman, still a person, and still in need of the odd moment of self reflectivity that is positive and optimistic...boasting even).

It is, in some ways, my own little way of addressing what some authors have dubbed The Confidence Code, in describing the gap in confidence between men and women; which is also pretty much in keeping with Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In, in which she advocates a kind of female ambition that often ends up getting people's backs up:  ambitious women are "bitches" after all. (See this article on the New York Times debacle over the firing of Jill Abrahamson, a woman leader considered "pushy" and "brusque").

Well, I'm ambitious.  I may well be a bitch.  I leave that to others to decide, because I think I'm super duper nice, but I may not be the best judge.  But I am confident.

If you're not afraid of a confident woman, then read on, or in the words of Beyonce, "can you handle this?"  If, so, then enjoy my PB Part Deux Boast Post:

Getting ready for squats...

Yesterday, I ran out to the hill to do the hill workout as dictated by Coach Woods (the same hill that I used back in June when we first arrived in Malaysia), and for the first time ever since I tried doing a hill workout I actually found it easy.  I had to run up the hill 6 times, and usually when I do a workout like this, I start calculating how I can quit at the 50% mark after the very first run up the hill.  This time, I did all 6 and then thought, "gee, is that it?"

...almost a 6-pack, I swear!

Then today, I squatted 100kgs at the gym.  That means that I held a weight bar, loaded down with 100kgs on my shoulders, lowered myself into a squat position, and repeated that all while holding the 100kgs.  To put that in perspective, that's around 220Ibs; I weigh around 127Ibs or so.

Heck, I even think I've got the start of six pack abs...I've got more work before anyone's gonna call it a washboard stomach, but, heck, it's not too shabby for a lady closer to 40 than 20.

A Saturday night feast at our place
(notice the salad!).

We've been eating well, making a concerted effort to eat at home (and watch the booze intake, one of my Achilles heels).

A Sunday afternoon brunch at our place
(more salad!).

But life is more than sporting workouts and newfound fitness.  Even though I've been hitting some highs in the gym and being pretty consistent with my runs these days, there has a been a lot more going on in life that feel like PBs to me:  work is going amazingly well; I am surrounded by fantastic friends; people are generous with their time and insights, and I don't know how I'll ever repay many of them; I feel optimistic about my future; and I feel like I'm doing what I'm meant to do in this world.

You know that feeling?  That feeling when it seems like things are falling into place and you're on the path that - out of all the options in the world out there - is the right one for you, right now?  Well, that's how I feel these days.  Maybe instead of posting about PBs, I should call this one about my BP (Best Path).

And being on my BP, my friends, makes me confident.

And I hope that you too feel confident and happy with where you are right now and whatever path you find yourself on.  And more importantly, if you find that you aren't all that happy or confident on your current path...try to get onto a different one...find your BP!

Over and out,

Joy